Missouri's struggles to pay for road, bridge repairs

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) — Missouri lawmakers have struggled to find a way to pay for repairs along thousands of miles of highways and bridges, and it's unclear if that might change.

State funding for road and bridge repair has fallen from $1.3 billion in 2009 to about $800 million by 2017.

The Kansas City Star reported that about 70 percent of less-traveled rural Missouri roads are in good or fair condition. Out of 10,400 bridges around the state, 866 are in poor condition, and another 1,200 are weight-restricted.

Patrick McKenna, director of the Missouri Department of Transportation, said the funding shortfall takes a toll. Most of the available money has to go toward trying to maintain the quality of roads and bridges, with little left over to make improvements or expansions.